[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 December 2016, 23:07 GMT]Tamil villagers from Aa'rumukaththaan-ku'lam and Tha'n'ni-mu'rippuk-ku'lam in Karai-thu'raip-pattu division of Mullaiththeevu district have come under death threats from Sinhala colonists from Weli-Oya and Padawiya after the Tamil-speaking fishermen complained against large-scale intrusion by Sinhala colonists into Tha'n'ni-mu'rippu reservoir for fresh-water fishing. Sinhala colonists, have been burning down the boats and nets belonging to Tamil and Muslim villagers for some time have now threatened them with SL military backing stating if they opposed their intrusion, they would be slain, the Tamil-speaking fishermen said. The threats have come from several corners after the dispute became a hot topic at the recent District Coordinating Committee meeting held in Mullaiththeevu District Secretariat on 19 December.

After seizing almost all reservoirs that belonged to Eezham Tamils in Vavuinyaa North and discriminating the Tamils to be largely dependent on rain-fed farming alone, the occupying Colombo is now trying to seize the irrigation tanks of Tamils in Karaithu'raip-pattu, Tamil villagers complained at the DCC meeting. They blamed the SL Police for taking the side of Sinhala colonists.

None of the Sinhala colonists live in the vicinity of the lake.

The Sinhala colonists come from Ma'nal-aa'ru (Weli-oya) and distant Padawiya in motorbikes and use Kulla boats that they have deployed along the lake to engage in fresh-water fishing, threatening the only livelihood of Tamil and Muslim fishermen from two fishing societies that have been allowed to engage in fresh-water fishing according to a ruling from Mullaiththeevu Court.

The Fisheries Ministry of Northern Provincial Council is responsible to breed fishes in the lakes. The NPC, receiving inadequate funds from the Colombo Establishment, has been forced to prepare 3 lakes for freshwater fishing in Weli-oya region subjected to Sinhala colonisation. Tha'n'ni-mu'rippu lake is one of the 7 lakes in Tamil areas.

In the meantime, UN and foreign development agencies are also being accused of abetting structural genocide against Eezham Tamils as the reservoirs that have been repaired and reconstructed with foreign ‘development’ assistance, have all gone into the hands of the Sinhala colonists in Vavuniyaa North.